Episode 25: How to improve your performance by thinking about death
Episode 25: How to improve your performance by thinking about death
Welcome to the SPS Podcast:
Main Takeaways:
“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”
Marcus Aurelius
How do you use death to make you perform better?
Well, by thinking about Memento Mori.
Essentially, you do more, live life to its fullest, and take strategic risks because you know you will die.
But wait, what is Memento Mori?
Well, it is a large part of Stoic philosophy.
It’s the practice of contemplating your mortality and remembering that one day you will die.
In English, it translates to “remember you must die”
Sounds morbid, right?
I know, but you need this concept in your life; it pushes you to take the right actions and not sit on the sidelines in life.
To get a philosophical viewpoint, we can look to the Stoic masters.
In his letters, Seneca explains the benefit of meditating on death:
“Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing.
Let us balance life’s books each day…The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time. “
Marcus Aurelius had thoughts on this idea as well:
“Brief is man’s life and small the nook of the Earth where he lives; brief, too, is the longest posthumous fame, buoyed only by a succession of poor human beings who will very soon die and who know little of themselves, much less of someone who died long ago.”
Finally, Epictetus reminds us:
“I cannot escape death, but at least I can escape the fear of it.”
The Stoics believed that we must care for others while accepting death is out of our control.
There is a juxtaposition of thought between caring deeply for life while fully embracing and accepting death, which will come for us all.
This idea of thinking about death can seem very strange to many people in western cultures, as we have developed a habit of ignoring death.
Many live in the moment, think time is abundant, and never think they will die or have regrets in the future.
But in reality, death is one of the few things we all have in common with everyone else, along with regrets, for some.
Why think about death, then?
One of my core beliefs about Stoicism is that it teaches us to do the right thing.
“Just that you do the right thing. The rest doesn’t matter. Cold or warm. Tired or well-rested.”
Marcus Aurelius
When you appreciate each moment more and recognize that your time is limited, you learn to do the right thing by living in the now, which, for me, is one of the most Stoic actions you can take.
Thinking about death makes you grateful for every moment with loved ones and friends.
I want to celebrate the lives of those important to me while they are alive.
I want to do the activities that matter most to me.
Thinking about Memento Mori makes me want to be closer to those who are important in my life.
When they do pass, I will be sad, as you should, but I will look to the good times and the joy of knowing these people with this idea in mind.
Memento Mori takes something destructive like death and turns it into a beautiful part of our daily lives, even something to embrace, not fear.
But how does it improve your performance?
Memento Mori helps you prioritize what matters while reminding you that time is finite.
Each day you know that sitting on the sidelines of life is not the right thing to do.
You start to see time differently.
You want to do more with your time.
You see less value in things that don’t serve you.
You see less value in wasting months and years drifting.
It gives you the courage to take on bigger challenges, as you know time is not on your side.
Many people say they need the motivation to be more productive.
When I 1st start thinking about this concept daily, I can tell you it certainly puts things into perspective.
What is more motivating than understanding that your own personal clock is constantly ticking down?
Use Memento Mori each day to help you improve.
Take time to realize that everyone around you will die, and your time is finite.
Then take action to use your time well today and every day.
You won’t regret it.
Think about Memento Mori today.
“Hurry up and live.”
Seneca
Think of how you can remind yourself that your time is short.
I carry a $1 coin that was minted the year I was born.
I know each time I look at that coin, it will probably still be around many years after I am gone; that brings a smile to my face and reminds me to love and take action today.
This has helped shift my mindset immensely — I hope you, too, will find this idea useful in your life.
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Big love.
Make it a great one,
Stephen
